Djibouti

The country of Djibouti is located in East Africa, bordering the countries of Ethiopia in the west, Eritrea in the north, and Somalia in the southeast. It is also found near the waters of the Gulf of Tadjourah and the Red Sea. Its strategic location in the Horn of Africa makes it one of the busiest in the world. More than half of all commercial ships in the world travelling from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean pass its waters, which makes it one of the world’s busiest ports. It is also found close to the oil fields of the Arabs. It is composed mostly of coastal plains and plateaus with deserts and lake formations. Lake Assal, one of the most famous tourist destinations in the country, is the lowest point in the country and in whole of Africa.

Port of DjiboutiThere are approximately more than 740,000 people in Djibouti. Most people are Somali Issas (60%) followed by the Afars (35%). A small minority are composed of Europeans (French and Italian) and Africans (Ethiopians and Arabs). Of these numbers, 94% practice the Islam religion while the rest are Christians (Roman Catholics, Protestants, Greek Orthodox). While Somali and Afar are the native languages and are widely spoken in the country, French and Arab are the official languages of the country which are used in schools, businesses, and in the government.

Djibouti is formally called the Republic of Djibouti or Republique de Djibouti and was called French Somaliland and French Territory of the Afars and Issas during its colonial period. It has 6 districts – Ali Sabieh, Arta, Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, and Tadjourah – where Djibouti is the capital city.

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